1. Seasonal and habitat-wise variations of creek water particulate and dissolved organic carbon in arid mangrove (the Persian Gulf).
- Author
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Ray, R. and Weigt, M.
- Subjects
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CARBON , *ZOOPLANKTON , *SEDIMENTS , *CLIMATE change ,PARTICULATE matter & the environment - Abstract
The present study examines the effect of mangrove vegetation and different seasons on organic carbon pools, distributions, and source compositions under the stressed hydro-climatological settings of the Iranian coast (Persian Gulf). Significant seasonal and spatial differences were detected only for the δ 13 POC (particulate organic carbon) owing to the fluctuation of its sources. Five end-member particulate organic carbon sources (POC) (mangrove leaf, planktonic particles, zooplankton, microphytobenthos (MPB), and sediment) contributed to the POC pool at different levels depending on their seasonal and site-specific abundance. Variations in topographic features such as, the elevations of mangrove and non-mangrove creeks, appeared to play an important role in regulating POC concentrations but not DOC concentrations. Planktonic particles contributed to the POC pool (maximum 10–65%) at the mangrove sites mostly in the summer whereas the contributions of sediment and MPB (5–35%) increased in winter. Iranian mangroves are weak exporters of carbon to the Persian Gulf where mangrove plant materials (leaf, litter) had little contributions to the POC and DOC pool (5–25% and 8–15%, respectively). It is most likely that OC export in these arid regions are limited by low rainfall and river input. Finally, seasonality and site-specific activity largely control OC dynamics in these relatively understudied arid mangroves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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